This community is in search of something. Some say it is in search of a vision; others say it is in search of answers — a solution to its current issues — and some may see this as a search for a leader.

Perhaps we should take one step back and instead of looking for the answer, look for the right question. Jonas Salk said, “What people think of as the moment of discovery is really the discovery of the question.”

Perhaps we should be in search of a question. Without knowing what to ask, how can you know if you found the answer?

Consider the question, “What is Salisbury?” This community, which has any number of resources, seems to lack one fundamental aspect: a sense of identity. A shared community identity is necessary if Salisbury is going to move forward.

Identity is not a branding or marketing piece dictated by some consultant or marketing guru. Identity is who we are as a group; the common bond that makes the difference between a bunch of people who happen to live near each other and a community.

Identity is embraced by the community and shared with those outside the area as a definition of the community.

By way of example, my family’s roots are in Philadelphia. I can tell you exactly who Philadelphians are: Blue-collar and sports-crazed, they are “wiz with” and as fiercely independent as the liberty bell and Independence Hall. Philly is a city of neighborhoods with an inferiority complex to New York City, who they hate.

The concept of identity is not unique to any one city or any one time. Myrtle Beach is the golfer’s place; Seattle is the land of Starbucks and Microsoft; Sparta represented discipline; Athens was synonymous with democracy.

Identities can be about a place such as Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco or an ideal, such as romance and lights for Paris. An identity embraces what is unique, innovative and genuine about that place, faults and all. Salisbury and Wicomico County have a slogan and marketing pieces, but they do not yet have an identity.

Working in a central location like the downtown library, I get the opportunity to talk to a number of people about a variety of topics. Some of them are from here, but a majority of them have moved into the area through the years. They tell me about where they are from, what it was like there and why they have moved to Salisbury.

Those who connected with this place they are “from” speak of it in warm tones and include memories they have in common with others from that area. They can, in two or three sentences, capture the essence, the character, the identity of that place.

This commonality, this connection with people and place, is at the heart of an identity. What is interesting is it does not matter how long a person lives in an area, they can capture the identity if they have connected with that place and it is part of them.

While people have connected with Salisbury through shared memories, many of them spanning a whole lifetime, I have not heard any of them express an identity, capturing the essence of this place. Visioning is great and as a strategic planner, I have led the library through the visioning process and encourage other organizations to participate in the exercises required for a solid vision.

Salisbury may not yet be ready for a vision, not until it has an identity.